Portland Trail Blazers interim general manager Chad Buchanan talks with reporters during a news conference introducing center Hasheem Thabeet and point guard Jonny Flynn Monday, March 19, 2012, in Portland, Ore. Thabeet and Flynn were acquired, along with a second-round draft pick, from Houston in exchange for veteran Marcus Camby last Thursday at the trade deadline. The Blazers also traded forward Gerald Wallace to the New Jersey Nets for center Mehmet Okur, forward Shawne Williams and a protected first-round pick. The two deals netted the Blazers cap space and added to a stockpile of picks for this June's NBA draft. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)(Photo: Rick Bowmer, AP)

INDIANAPOLIS – Kevin Pritchard has found his replacement for the Indiana Pacers’ open general manager position. Pritchard, recently promoted from the position to team president, will hire longtime executive Chad Buchanan, a league source told IndyStar on Thursday.

When Buchanan is expected to join the Pacers is still unclear. He could be with the Pacers in time for the start of the NBA’s free agency period this weekend, according to a source. Buchanan has spent the past two seasons with the Charlotte Hornets as their assistant general manager under Rich Cho.

By hiring Buchanan, Pritchard will be reunited with an executive he worked with closely during his time in Portland.

Buchanan, before joining the Hornets in 2015, spent 10 years with the Portland Trail Blazers. He worked as the director of college scouting when Pritchard was the Trail Blazers’ general manager from 2007-10.

The Pacers received permission from the Hornets to interview Buchanan in late May after the NBA Draft Combine. Since then, Buchanan, 44, was considered to be Pritchard’s choice as his top deputy in the front office. Buchanan fulfilled his role with Charlotte in terms of collegiate scouting and preparations for the draft through this past week’s annual event.

Pritchard, 49, will continue to make the final decisions in terms of the Pacers’ basketball operations.

Since they began working together, Pritchard and Buchanan have become friends who have shared and value many of the same beliefs in terms of building a winning team. Pritchard, with the help of Buchanan, drafted and helped develop Brandon Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge into star players with the Trail Blazers. Buchanan also is known as an advocate of using analytics to evaluate players and draft prospects.

Buchanan was able to get more front-office experience in Portland after Pritchard was fired in 2010.

Buchanan served as the Trail Blazers’ interim general manager during the 2011-12 season. During that time, he oversaw the team’s draft preparations in 2011 as well as the roster and free agent signings. Buchanan completed the 2012 trade that sent Gerald Wallace to the New Jersey Nets for a first-round pick. He also signed Wesley Matthews in free agency, a move that helped the Trail Blazers return to the playoffs in 2014.

Portland eventually choose to hire Neil Olshey as their general manager in 2012. Olshey used the draft pick that Buchanan acquired from New Jersey to draft star guard Damian Lillard.

Buchanan’s tenure in Portland also overlapped with Nate McMillan’s time as the Trail Blazers’ coach. McMillan coached the team from 2005-12, Buchanan was in the front office, first beginning as a scout in 2007.

Pritchard was promoted to team president last month after Larry Bird stepped down to become an advisor. In his new role, Prichard has focused on improving the team’s attitude and chemistry. This offseason is expected to bring seismic changes for the franchise, including a trade involving Paul George.

Last month, Pritchard said he was comfortable with all the prominent personnel in the Pacers’ front office, including executives such as vice president Peter Dinwiddie, director of scouting Ryan Carr, scouting manager Jason Buckner, advisor Donnie Walsh and Bird. But Pritchard also mentioned then that his own strategy for the team is somewhat different from Bird’s leadership.

“People feel my management style is different already,” Pritchard said in May. “We don’t want to be exactly the same, but we like continuity. There’s value in continuity. That’s one of the advantages of stepping into a position where I’ve been here. I’ve moved up, but Larry is still here and Donnie is still here. There’s an importance to that continuity.”

Buchanan’s arrival appears to fit within Pritchard’s desire for continuity.

Buchanan’s first job in professional basketball was working for Pritchard in the newer iteration of the American Basketball Association. In 2002, Buchanan was the assistant coach and assistant director of player personnel for the Kansas City Knights. The team’s general manager and coach was Pritchard. Together, Pritchard and Buchanan helped the Knights win an ABA championship.